Raising the stakes

Republicans and Democrats are building extra-party infrastructure looking to raise unlimited cash, much of it anonymous, under a new legal framework that has shaken up how congressional and presidential campaigns are financed.

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The financial stakes are huge. Republican-allied super PACs and linked nonprofits are aiming to raise at least $400 million — and likely much more. The super PAC-nonprofit outfit set up to boost President Barack Obama is shooting for $100 million, and congressional Democrats, behind in the new world of outside group fundraising, say they’re ready to compete, too.

Behind the scenes, key operatives are driving the change — both on spending and fundraising. POLITICO’s money and politics team introduces some of the most interesting players to watch next year.

Monica Dixon

Not only is the 46-year-old South Dakota native one of the most experienced independent operatives in the new Democratic network of outside groups, but she is also — in a way — responsible for the very existence of the super PAC.

A group she launched last year called Commonsense Ten — acting in response to a series of federal court rulings loosening campaign cash rules — won a ruling from the Federal Election Commission allowing it to accept unlimited contributions from individuals, unions and corporations to pay for independent campaign ads.

While GOP-allied groups like Rove’s Crossroads outfits took greater advantage of the ruling in 2010, Commonsense Ten was one of the few Democratic groups to make a go of it, raising $4.3 million for ads boosting Senate candidates in the midterm elections. Still, that was a far cry from what Democrats hoped for — and some Democratic operatives grumbled that their efforts to raise big bucks were hamstrung by attacks on outside money from top Democrats up to and including Obama.

But this year, Dixon is back with a successor super PAC to Commonsense Ten called Majority PAC, and it has the full blessing — and is getting fundraising support — from some of the party’s biggest names, including Sens. Harry Reid, Chuck Schumer, John Kerry and Al Franken.

While Majority PAC reported raising only $1.1 million in the first half of the year, Dixon said it’s held dozens of meetings with donors who seem to be warming to the notion that outside groups have become an integral part of the new campaign finance landscape.

Dixon, who started her political career while she was still in college working for Tom Daschle’s 1986 Senate campaign in her home state, went on to become chief of staff to the House Democratic Caucus and deputy chief of staff to Vice President Al Gore.